The top reported proficiency rate is 22% in English language arts. The lowest is 10% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Indian Mounds Elementary
Indian Mounds Elementary serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Bloomington, part of the Bloomington Public School District. The school sits in a large post-World War II suburb of Minneapolis, a car-oriented city with a mix of residential neighborhoods and major commercial development, anchored by the Mall of America. Bloomington has more jobs per capita than Minneapolis or Saint Paul, and the area is served by several major freeways and light rail connecting the Mall of America to downtown Minneapolis. About a third of the city is parkland, including large natural areas like the Minnesota Valley wetlands and Hyland Lake Park Reserve. Housing values in the area are moderate relative to national benchmarks, and rents are a meaningful share of household income, reflecting the suburban Twin Cities market.
The school itself is a regular public school with a diverse student body. The enrollment draws from a wide range of racial and ethnic backgrounds, and a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This economic context may be relevant for families considering the school's resources and support systems. The grade span is limited to elementary, so there is no high school graduation rate to report. State testing data is available for the 2024-25 school year, covering math, English language arts, and science at tested grade levels. In math, the share of students meeting proficiency standards was below the midpoint relative to other schools in Hennepin County. In English language arts, the share proficient was in a similar range, though performance varied by grade. Only one year of data is available, so no trend analysis is possible. In science, the proficiency rate for fifth graders was comparable to the math results for that grade. Overall, the school's combined proficiency across subjects sits below the midpoint among its county peers.
Unlike many schools of this size, Indian Mounds does not appear to have publicly reported data on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, or certain special population counts such as students with individualized education programs or English learners. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these areas to get a fuller picture of student support and environment. The school is part of a district that offers several notable programs for older students, including a fully online K-12 option called New Code Academy and the Bloomington Career and College Academy, which allows high school students to earn college credit. The district also runs a Computer Science Immersion program in partnership with the University of Minnesota, though these are not directly relevant to Indian Mounds Elementary's grade band.
The neighborhood around the school is primarily residential, typical of a post-war suburban development. Bloomington lacks a traditional downtown, with civic functions spread across the city and commercial activity concentrated along major corridors and around the Mall of America. The city has seen recent voter-approved investments in municipal projects, including a new public health and community center, ice garden renovations, and creek restoration, funded by a local option sales tax. The population has been relatively stable, with a slight decline from the 2020 census to more recent estimates.
For a family evaluating this school, the key takeaway is that Indian Mounds serves a diverse and economically varied student population in a stable suburban setting. The academic results are below the county median based on available state assessment data, which is a soft spot worth discussing with the school. The absence of broader data on attendance, discipline, and special programs means a parent should seek those details directly. The school's grade span means it feeds into district middle and high schools, which do offer expanded pathways. The school itself provides a typical elementary experience in a well-established Bloomington neighborhood, with the caveat that families wanting to understand student support structures may need to go beyond what is publicly available.
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